by Shanna Brumbelow
Mrs. Morris' Multimedia
23 February 2005

The ancestors of the Yorkshire Terrier are Scottish. At the turn of the 19th century, miners and workers from the Clyde region were breeding a small hunting terrier called the Clydesdale, a kind of Skye Terrier with a steel blue coat with golden head and legs.

The industrial revolution led to mass migration of workers within the United Kingdom. The communities of miners and workers in the wool industry of Glasgow left Scotland for Yorkshire, bringing their dogs with them. These dogs were used to catch rats in mines and ferret out rabbits.

These Scottish Terriers were crossed with "Brokenhaired" dogs from Yorkshire, creating a new breed as small as a ferret with a silky black and tan colored coat, which became known as Yorkshire Terriers.

The miners' living conditions were difficult and the pay low. Poaching was a vital necessity, but was heavily punished. This situation lead to the popularity of the Yorkshire Terrier. Many poachers, through selection by breeding, managed to reduce the dog's size.

As small as a ferret, they easily chased out rabbits which were then captured in nets. This black and tan terrier was the perfect support for British poachers.

However, its silky hair was too slippery when the poacher needed to pull out his dog when discovered. They needed a much longer coat to facilitate the extraction from the rabbit holes. The breed was then crossed with the Maltese Terrier that brought the famous coat length that we know today.

This small blue and tan hunter, a result of various cross-breeding, was so beautiful that it rapidly became a big success and later a popular pet.

©1999 Helen, all rights reserved.